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Taxi Blues

Play trailer Poster for Taxi Blues 1990,  1h 50m,  Comedy/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 71% 7 Reviews Tomatometer 73% 100+ Ratings Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
A down-on-his-luck, self-hating Jewish jazz musician, Lyosha (Piotr Mamonov), tries to skip out on his cab fare. But the gruff, conservative cab driver, Shlykov (Piotr Zaitchenko), tracks Lyosha down and manages to swipe his saxophone, holding it hostage until Lyosha can pay him back. At first, Shlykov thinks of selling the instrument, but changes his mind and makes Lyosha his servant as a way to recoup the money. The men argue constantly, but an unexpected camaraderie also develops.

Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Sep 7, 2011
C-
Taxi Blues is all hyperbolic atmosphere; it's one garish, semi-improvisatory big scene after another. But the bald, glowering Mamanov -- who's a rock star in the Soviet Union -- performs with a desperate, bebop fervor that's hard to forget. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
3/4
It is clear from the energy in the story that Lounguine has been waiting a long time to get his hands on the camera, and his point of view swoops and soars through Moscow like a bird released from its cage. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jun 20, 2023
Taxi Blues is a peculiar form of entertainment, too related to torture. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Judith Shulevitz OutWeek May 19, 2020
It's a tale of unspoken -- and unspeakable -- desire between two ostensibly straight men, as powerful in its passion and repression as, say. Midnight Cowboy or Scarecrow. Go to Full Review
Christopher Long Movie Metropolis Jul 26, 2009
7/10
Hits some joyful notes even while playing a somber tune. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jun 29, 2005
3/5
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Taxi Blues

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Cast & Crew

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Pavel Lungin

Director

Piotr Mamonov

Lyosha

Piotr Zaitchenko

Shlykov

Vladimir Kachpur

Nechiporenko

Natalia Koliakanova

Christina

Hal Singer

Self

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Taxi Blues

Taxi Blues (1990) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A down-on-his-luck, self-hating Jewish jazz musician, Lyosha (Piotr Mamonov), tries to skip out on his cab fare. But the gruff, conservative cab driver, Shlykov (Piotr Zaitchenko), tracks Lyosha down and manages to swipe his saxophone, holding it hostage until Lyosha can pay him back. At first, Shlykov thinks of selling the instrument, but changes his mind and makes Lyosha his servant as a way to recoup the money. The men argue constantly, but an unexpected camaraderie also develops.
Director
Pavel Lungin
Producer
Marin Karmitz
Screenwriter
Pavel Lungin
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Russian
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 23, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA)
$16.7K
Runtime
1h 50m
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